Sharlene had finally had enough. For years, she watched her rent climb—$70 to $80 more every single year—while her West Toronto apartment complex remained the same.
The landlord kept filing for "above guideline increases," charging tenants for so-called improvements that did absolutely nothing to improve their daily lives. A fresh coat of paint on the doors. New carpet in the hallway that had been replaced just five years earlier. All of it billed to residents who were already struggling to make ends meet.
"Was it necessary to paint our doors, redo the carpet in the hall that was done maybe five years ago? No," Sharlene Henry explained. "But these are all things that they can charge us at rent increases for."
When she discovered her building had filed for more rent increases than any other in the entire city—and that tenants were paying 6% above what was even legally allowed—something inside her shifted. The frustration that had been simmering for years finally boiled over. She and her neighbours tried reaching out to the CEO. They protested at corporate offices. They showed up at their own building demanding answers.
Nobody listened.
